Peace In Our Time Luke 2:9-14 December 7, 2008

If familiarity breeds contempt, then surely the seeming familiarity that we have with the Christmas story can breed a contempt of the highest order, causing us to simply gloss over the profound nature of the event that took place in a stable in Bethlehem. Familiarity with the Christmas story tends to breed contempt since we think we know all the details and exactly what is going on within the story.

When I get to heaven, there are a couple of DVD’s that I am going to ask God if I can see. Creation, the parting of the Red Sea, Balaam’s donkey, and I really want to see this scene here – the angel’s pronouncement of Jesus’ birth to the shepherds.

I have always found this short and all too familiar story fascinating.

In Luke 2:9 we read, “An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

What an announcement. The long awaited Messiah of Israel had finally come. What God had promised through the prophets, what he had promised through David, what he had promised through Moses, what he had promised to Adam and Eve in the garden after their fall in to sin – the promise that God would one day provide a savior to redeem humanity from its sin and restore relationship with God that was lost, the angel is saying to the shepherds, that this day has now come, humanity’s savior has been given to the world.

The angel’s announcement is an awe-inspiring pronouncement of the gospel itself. A savior has come. And not just any savior but the promised savior of God. This is certainly exciting news to be able to carry to others. Have you ever had something that you were simply bursting inside to tell someone about? Some bit of news that required every ounce of your strength to hold in until the right time? The relief that can come from being able to share that news can be quite exhilarating. And I believe this is what we are seeing in the angel’s announcement, especially with what happens next.

In total joy and awe of the God they serve the entire army of God, the heavenly host, appears. This is why I want to see this scene when I get to heaven. Can you imagine this? If the shepherds were frightened at the appearance of one angel, I suspect that at the appearance of an entire army of angels the sheep weren’t the only ones soiling the ground that night – know what I’m saying?

Look at verse 13, “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest’”.

The angels are so caught up in the significance of this moment in human history, so awed by the greatness of the God they serve, so humbled from the task of announcing the birth of God’s savior that they can’t but praise God.

You know, we can learn something from the response of the angelic host here. God’s work deserves praise. Whatever that work is, God’s work deserves praise. Why? Because God is doing it to be sure, and we should always be thankful when work is being done, but especially thankful to God since the work that he does is always for our benefit and joy. Sometimes it will be easy to praise God because the work he is doing is enjoyable or positively beneficial to us; other times it will not be so easy for us to praise God for his work because his work may be involving discipline or we may be going through a difficult time in our lives. The point is when God is at work, whether we like the work he is doing or not, praise is to be our response. The bible teaches us that whatever God’s work is in our lives it is work that is being done with our best interests in mind.

Now the angels aren’t done speaking yet. We don’t have a lot of commentary on events coming from the heavenly beings recorded in the Bible –God himself is the exception. Rarely do we ever see other heavenly beings, the angels specifically, do anything other than carry out the duties or deliver the messages they have been given. But following this rare glimpse of angelic praise, we see an even rarer moment of angelic commentary and insight into the situation at hand.

After the angels give praise to God in heaven, they turn their attention to the humans who heard their message,; the simple shepherds in the field, minding their own business, and keeping watch over their sheep. And this is what I hope we will not miss or gloss over because we are so familiar with the story of Christ’s birth. 14, “And on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

Peace has come on some hard times in our days. Peace in our time is most often associated with the cessation of war or of some other hostility. And even a cursory look at the news headlines will lead us to the conclusion that this world is not doing so well with regard to peace.

Peace in our society is also largely seen as the act of man towards other men. Peace is usually spoken of as people simply coming together to stop the violence or end the aggression. Or of people appealing to the better nature found in man, because man is inherently good, right? That’s not the picture the bible gives. Ecclesiastes 7:20 says, “There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.” Peace in our world is believed possible if man will simply be good towards others, try hard enough, negotiate long enough, or provide enough resources to end all manner of social ills.

Now please listen to me carefully. I am not saying or trying to teach that the scripture says that we should not be concerned with ending violence in our world, or working well with others, or seeking to better the plight of others around the world. We should most certainly be involved in this kind of work as we are able. Hebrews 12:14 says, “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord”. As Christian disciples of Jesus Christ, we must be about the business of living out the peace that God has given to us in the world around us.

And this is the point I want to make. True, lasting, life-changing peace will only come to those who have found the peace that God gives through the savior born in Bethlehem.

Therefore, when the angels proclaim peace to men on whom God’s favor rests, they are not talking about the kind of peace that comes as a cessation of hostilities between human beings, but rather the peace that comes to men on account of the work, the death and resurrection, of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul, summarizes the angels’ words in this way. In Romans 5:1-2 the apostle Paul writes, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”

The simple and profound and overwhelming and often missed truth of the angels’ words to the shepherds is that they themselves, and that you yourself, can be at peace with God. What is more, this peace, justification before God, reconciliation in relationship with God, forgiveness of sin, is for all who will simply put their faith in Jesus Christ. This is what is means for peace to be given to men on whom God’s favor rests. The men spoken of here are all human beings who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ.

Enjoying God’s favor means to be one of his people. You are favored not because of anything you have done, but because of the work that God has done for you. You are given peace, not necessarily as a feeling to cling to, although that may be the case, but the peace proclaimed by the angels on the night Jesus was born in Bethlehem, is a peace in relationship – God and man, by God’s work for man in the savior Jesus, will be reconciled to each other and at peace.

What the angels praise, what they glory and marvel in is not that a baby has been born under miraculous conditions – although that is indeed impressive. No, what the angels praise and what they give glory to God for is that God has extended peace, that is reconciliation and the forgiveness of sins, to all human beings who will put their faith in Jesus Christ. This is what the angels are excited about and give glory to God for and proclaim in amazement and joy to the shepherds – and it is what is proclaimed to us as well.

Advent is the season of preparation. Preparation for the celebrating the birth of the savior of the world, Jesus Christ It is a good thing to take time to be reminded again of the peace that has been offered to us in Jesus Christ. As we continue to prepare ourselves during this season of advent, as we anticipate again the coming of the savior into the world, let us who are believers in Jesus Christ praise God, give glory to God in the highest for the peace he has given to us through our faith in the savior Jesus Christ. For you who have received God’s peace, you are favored by him, he loves you. Thank him and follow him.

If you are not a follower of Christ, if you have not received him as savior by faith, I invite you today to receive God’s peace. True peace can be yours if you want it by simply putting your faith in Jesus Christ and beginning to follow him.

God has given us the savior Jesus Christ – the Prince of Peace who has brought true peace in our time.

Let’s pray.